computer science

Novena (computing platform)

Novena (computing platform) is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Novena (computing platform) rather than just read about it. In short: Novena is an open-source computing hardware project designed by Andrew "bunnie" Huang and Sean "Xobs" Cross. The initial design of Novena started in 2012.

Key takeaways

Novena (computing platform) belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Novena (computing platform) to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Novena (computing platform) from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Novena is an open-source computing hardware project designed by Andrew "bunnie" Huang and Sean "Xobs" Cross. The initial design of Novena started in 2012. It was developed by Sutajio Ko-usagi Pte. Ltd. and funded by a crowdfunding campaign which began on April 15, 2014. The first offering was a 1.2 GHz Freescale Semiconductor i.MX6 quad-core ARM architecture computer closely coupled with a Xilinx FPGA. It was offered in "desktop", "laptop", or "heirloom laptop" form, or as a standalone motherboard. The Novena platform entered end-of-life status in 2019.

On May 19, 2014, the crowdfunding campaign concluded having raised just over 280% of its target. The extra funding allowed the project to achieve the following four "stretch goals", with the three hardware stretch goals being shipped in the form of add-on boards that use the Novena's special high-speed I/O expansion header, as seen in the upper-left of the Novena board:

Development of free and open source graphics drivers for the on-board video accelerator (etnaviv) Inclusion of a general-purpose breakout board providing 16 FPGA outputs and eight FPGA inputs (3.3 or 5 V gang-selectable via software), six 10-bit analog inputs (up to 200 ksps sample rate) and two 10-bit analog outputs (~100 ksps max rate) Inclusion of a "ROMulator" breakout board capable of emulating TSOP NAND flash devices Inclusion of a MyriadRF software-defined radio at all hardware-purchasing backing levels. The Novena shipped with a screwdriver, as users are required to install the battery themselves, screw on the LCD bezel of their choice, and obtain speakers as a kit instead of using speaker boxes. Owners of a 3D printer can make and fine tune their own speaker box. The mainboards were manufactured by AQS, an electronics manufacturing services provider. The initial crowdfunding campaign promised guaranteed availability of the Novena mainboard for 5 years, with new hardware produced based on demand. This continued until an August 2019 announcement that the mainboard would be entering end-of-life status, with remaining stock being discounted.

Illustrations

Novena (computing platform) illustration

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Novena (computing platform)

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Novena (computing platform) claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Novena (computing platform) before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Novena (computing platform) ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Novena (computing platform)

In research: Novena (computing platform) appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Novena (computing platform) in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Novena (computing platform) is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics American inventions, Computer-related introductions in 2014, Laptops, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Novena (computing platform) outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Novena (computing platform) in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Novena (computing platform) means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Novena (computing platform) out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Novena (computing platform) in simple terms?

Novena is an open-source computing hardware project designed by Andrew "bunnie" Huang and Sean "Xobs" Cross. The initial design of Novena started in 2012.

Why does Novena (computing platform) matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Novena (computing platform)?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Novena (computing platform).